BCT 150 UMASS EXAM 1 QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE
2025/2026
commons dilemma - Answers a social dilemma in which everyone takes from a common pool
of goods that will replenish itself if used in moderation but will disappear if overused
market good - Answers food, housing, car, oil. Excludable
open access common property - Answers a resource where exclusion of potential users is
impossible
pure public good - Answers A good or service that , to a high degree, is both nonrival and
nonexcludable
impure public good - Answers A good that is rival and/or excludable to some extent
bio mimicry - Answers Biomimicry involves mimicking or copying structures or systems found in
nature to develop new materials or products
bruntland report definitions of sustainability - Answers Sustainable development is development
that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs
carrying capacity - Answers Largest number of individuals of a population that a environment
can support
sprawl - Answers Development of new housing sites at relatively low density and at locations
that are not contiguous to the existing built-up area.
New Urbanism - Answers A movement in urban planning to promote mixed use commercial and
residential development and pedestrian friendly, community orientated cities. New urbanism is
a reaction to the sprawling, automobile centered cities of the mid twentieth century.
Brownfields - Answers contaminated industrial or commercial sites that may require
environmental cleanup before they can be redeveloped or expanded
greenfields - Answers Sites that have not been previously developed or built on, and which could
support open space, habitat or agriculture.
Blackfields - Answers Abandoned open-pit, strip, and sub-surface mines. May be considered an
expanded definition of brownfields.
Grayfields - Answers A form of urban property consisting of blighted or obsolete buildings
occupying land that is not
necessarily contaminated. Distressed areas that require investment to restore them to
economic health.
, Adaptive Re-use - Answers the reuse of an old building for a different purpose, which requires
the reuiring change to the exterior and/or interior of the old building
concrete foundations and excavation - Answers first task in building a structure, proper
excavation and foundation design is important while accounting for region, soil type, budget,
and building type.
helical piles - Answers Similar to minipiles but are installed without hammering, thereby avoiding
all the vibration and noise, makes good for work next to existing buildings, can be coated with
plastic or epoxy
urban heat island - Answers Is a metropolitan area which is significantly warmer than its
surrounding rural areas.
urban heat island effect on electrical grid - Answers increase summertime use of AC, energy, air
pollution, greenhouse effect,
role of trees and cooling - Answers transpiration cooling, water released from leaves cool
surrounding air as water transitions from liquid to vapor
recycle - Answers The process of making new products from materials that were used in
another product.
Downcycle - Answers a recycling practice that involves breaking an item down into its
component elements or materials
ecological footprint - Answers the impact of a person or community on the environment,
expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources.
embodied energy - Answers The total energy required to produce a product.
Embodied Carbon - Answers The total carbon emissions associated with a material or product
throughout its life cycle.
ecosystem services - Answers the processes by which life-supporting resources such as clean
water, timber, fisheries, and agricultural crops are produced
GDP - Answers Gross Domestic Product- the total market value of all final goods and services
produced annually in an economy
GPI - Answers Genuine progress indicator, subtracts negative activity and accounts for
social/environmental costs
ISEW - Answers The Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare (ISEW) is an economic indicator
intended to replace the Gross Domestic Product, which is the main macroeconomic indicator of
System of National Accounts (SNA)
2025/2026
commons dilemma - Answers a social dilemma in which everyone takes from a common pool
of goods that will replenish itself if used in moderation but will disappear if overused
market good - Answers food, housing, car, oil. Excludable
open access common property - Answers a resource where exclusion of potential users is
impossible
pure public good - Answers A good or service that , to a high degree, is both nonrival and
nonexcludable
impure public good - Answers A good that is rival and/or excludable to some extent
bio mimicry - Answers Biomimicry involves mimicking or copying structures or systems found in
nature to develop new materials or products
bruntland report definitions of sustainability - Answers Sustainable development is development
that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs
carrying capacity - Answers Largest number of individuals of a population that a environment
can support
sprawl - Answers Development of new housing sites at relatively low density and at locations
that are not contiguous to the existing built-up area.
New Urbanism - Answers A movement in urban planning to promote mixed use commercial and
residential development and pedestrian friendly, community orientated cities. New urbanism is
a reaction to the sprawling, automobile centered cities of the mid twentieth century.
Brownfields - Answers contaminated industrial or commercial sites that may require
environmental cleanup before they can be redeveloped or expanded
greenfields - Answers Sites that have not been previously developed or built on, and which could
support open space, habitat or agriculture.
Blackfields - Answers Abandoned open-pit, strip, and sub-surface mines. May be considered an
expanded definition of brownfields.
Grayfields - Answers A form of urban property consisting of blighted or obsolete buildings
occupying land that is not
necessarily contaminated. Distressed areas that require investment to restore them to
economic health.
, Adaptive Re-use - Answers the reuse of an old building for a different purpose, which requires
the reuiring change to the exterior and/or interior of the old building
concrete foundations and excavation - Answers first task in building a structure, proper
excavation and foundation design is important while accounting for region, soil type, budget,
and building type.
helical piles - Answers Similar to minipiles but are installed without hammering, thereby avoiding
all the vibration and noise, makes good for work next to existing buildings, can be coated with
plastic or epoxy
urban heat island - Answers Is a metropolitan area which is significantly warmer than its
surrounding rural areas.
urban heat island effect on electrical grid - Answers increase summertime use of AC, energy, air
pollution, greenhouse effect,
role of trees and cooling - Answers transpiration cooling, water released from leaves cool
surrounding air as water transitions from liquid to vapor
recycle - Answers The process of making new products from materials that were used in
another product.
Downcycle - Answers a recycling practice that involves breaking an item down into its
component elements or materials
ecological footprint - Answers the impact of a person or community on the environment,
expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources.
embodied energy - Answers The total energy required to produce a product.
Embodied Carbon - Answers The total carbon emissions associated with a material or product
throughout its life cycle.
ecosystem services - Answers the processes by which life-supporting resources such as clean
water, timber, fisheries, and agricultural crops are produced
GDP - Answers Gross Domestic Product- the total market value of all final goods and services
produced annually in an economy
GPI - Answers Genuine progress indicator, subtracts negative activity and accounts for
social/environmental costs
ISEW - Answers The Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare (ISEW) is an economic indicator
intended to replace the Gross Domestic Product, which is the main macroeconomic indicator of
System of National Accounts (SNA)
